Rail-joint.



i. NOVAK.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION mm JAN-10.1916.

1 ,230,42& Patented June 19, 191?.

' //I lll i HnIH -W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN NOVAK, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

RA L-Jamar.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 19, 1917.

Application filed January 10, 1916. Serial N0. 71,255.

' which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in rail joints.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a joint or connection for railway rails which is inexpensively provided by complementally forming the opposite ends of each rail whereby separate rails are readily and firmly united in operative alinement without the employment of the usual hold-fast devices, such as fish plates and bolts.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a rail joint in the nature of an interlocking connection between the ends of adj acently positioned rails whereby the same is given the substantial appearance of the usual rail formation at the connecting point between the separate rails.

With these general objects in view and others that will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and then claimed.

In the drawings forming a part of this application and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views Figure 1 is a side elevation of the end portions of two rails connected together by the present form of joint.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal horizontal sectional view taken upon line IIII of Fig. 1, the rails being partially shown in top plan.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the rail end structures forming a part of the device, and,

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken upon line IV-IV of Fig. 1.

The present invention being deslgned to provide a connecting joint between the adjacent ends of two rails, .the same is hereln illustrated in connection with the rails 10 and 11, the same being shown in Flgs. and 2 in their operative longitudinal almlng positions, being connected together bymeans of the complemental formation of the adjacent rail ends which permits of the interlocking engagement therebetween.

Each rail has its opposite ends differently formed whereby the adjacent ends of two rails are readily interlocked. One rail'end form is shown upon the rail 10 as best illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings and forming the male member of the joint, the same being formed by transversely severing the rail tread l2 and also the rail web'l3, the

latter being severed for about one-half of its width and being removed or cut-away form:

ing the edge l4parallel with the base flange 15 of the rail, while the terminal end of the web 13 is provided with a substantially cubical lug 16 projecting above the said edge 14.

The rail 11 is illustrated as being provided with the female portion of the joint, being substantially complementally formed with respect to the aforementioned male joint portion of the end of the rail 10. This end of the rail 11 has the base flanges 17 transversely severed while the web 18 is also severed for substantially one-half of its width providing a bottom edge 19 at its cutaway portion which is fo-rmed with a socket 20 at the inner end of the web edge 19, said socket being of slightly greater dimensions than and adapted for the seating reception of the aforementioned lug 16. Plates 21 after the nature of fish plates are carried integrally by the opposite sides of the rail web 18 and extend completely over the cutaway portion of the rail web 14 and the socket 20 thereof and being arranged in parallelism, the said plates projecting forwardly of the free end of the rail 11 in curved runner-shaped edges 22.

It will thus be understood that when the rails 10 and 11 are in their normally separated position, the rail 11 may be tilted at an inclination and angularly with respect to the rail 10 and by placing the curved forward edges 22 of the runner plates 21 upon the flattened inner portions 23 of the base flanges 15 of the rail 10, the rail 11 may he slid longitudinally of the rail 10 until the free end 24 of the rail 11 is positioned in contact with the end face 25 of the rail head 12 and whereupon the elevated end of the rail 11 may be lowered for allowing the socket 20 to receivingly seat over the lug 16 and at which times the lower edges of the plates 21 will be seated upon the said flange portions 23 and the two rails and 11 will be in longitudinal alinement With each other with their tread Web and base flange portions in substantially unbroken arrangement.

The assembling of the joint between the rails 10 and 11 being thus easily accomplished, a reversal of the movement of the rail 11 will readily release or disengage the said joint connection between the rails, it being apparentthat a strong and etlicient joint is thus provided which possesses additional serviceable qualities to the usual arrangement of fish plates and which presents substantially the same general external appearance when the rails are operatively assembled.

While the form of the invention herein shown and described is what is believed to be the preferred embodiment thereof it is nevertheless to be understood that various forms, modifications and arrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

lVhat I claim as new is In a rail joint a rail end having the head thereof terminating short of the end of the web of the rail and having its projecting web portion substantially one-half the height of the web beneath the head and provided with a relatively short upstanding stud. in its outer end, and a second rail end having the lower portion of its web cutaway and having a web portion substantially onehalf the height of the rail web depending from the head to reinforce the same and provided with a relatively shallow socket in its lower edge and at its inner end, said second rail end also having a pair of integral parts extending in parallelism along the opposite sides of the rail end and projectin a short distance beyond the same, the base i ange of the second rail end terminating at the inner end of said web portion and the lower outer corners of said plates being rounded to bear against and ride over the base flange of the first rail end to permit insertion of the plates beneath the head of the first rail end.

In testimony whereof I aHiX my signature.

JOHN NOVAK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

